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Research

The existing literature exploring the experiences of parenting a trans child tends toward reporting the challenging aspects of the parental journey. Studies also reference positive experiences such as enhanced parent-child connectedness and affirmation of personal values. Limited dedicated research focused on the positive aspects of parenting a trans child exists. We aimed to better understand positive parental experiences accordingly.

News & Events

Congratulations to trailblazing mental health researcher Professor Helen Milroy, who has been announced as a finalist for the 2021 Human Rights Medal.

Research

Suicide was the leading cause of death among young Australians aged 15-24 years old in 2023, with 392 lives lost. The continued high numbers of youth suicide demand urgent exploration of alternative approaches to suicide intervention in this population. The United Kingdom-based suicide service Maytree offers an innovative short-term stay for people experiencing suicidal thoughts. Grounded by the Maytree model-of-care, the aim of the current study was to co-design a short-stay service responsive to the specific needs of suicidal young people.

Research

Loneliness is an unavoidable facet of human existence. When chronic and intense, adolescent loneliness is associated with maladjustment over time. A prospective multiple-cohort study examined the links between child-reported loneliness and coping skills and parent-rated child mental health in early adolescence, with a total of 266 students from 75 primary and 152 secondary schools.

Research

Autism genetics has historically attracted a substantial proportion of autism research funding internationally. However, more recently, several controversies centered on ethical conduct and lack of community consultation have emerged. This has triggered Autistic-led protests for the functional and meaningful inclusion of Autistic voices in the research design.

Research

Trans individuals face elevated health risks and socio-environmental challenges, influencing their engagement in health-protective behaviors (e.g. exercise and nutrition). Despite these challenges, there is a significant gap in understanding the specific eating and exercise experiences of Australian trans adults, including barriers to healthy behaviors and healthcare experiences. This study aims to address this gap by exploring these experiences, informing targeted interventions and healthcare practices to improve health outcomes.

Research

Mental ill-health and substance use bear a substantial burden and harm on young people and often arise from co-occurring and compounding risk factors, such as traumatic stress. Trauma-informed prevention of mental ill-health and substance use demonstrates significant promise in reducing this burden.

Research

Multimodal modeling that combines biological and clinical data shows promise in predicting transition to psychosis in individuals who are at ultra-high risk. Individuals who transition to psychosis are known to have deficits at baseline in cognitive function and reductions in gray matter volume in multiple brain regions identified by magnetic resonance imaging.

Research

Though significant research highlights higher rates of mental ill-health and substance use among trans, non-binary and gender diverse (henceforth 'trans') young people, little research has considered patterns, contextual characteristics, and correlates of co-occurring experiences of mental ill-health and substance use among trans young people. 

Research

Mental health problems are common among university students, yet many students do not seek professional help. Digital mental health interventions can increase students' access to support and have been shown to be effective in preventing and treating mental health problems. However, little is known about the extent to which students implement therapeutic skills from these programs in everyday life (ie, skill enactment) or about the impact of skill enactment on outcomes.